The Calming Melody Within the Music Box
by 9thForever
Summary: A wonderful AU where HG is undercover living alone, rather than "in a relationship" with Nate.


Univille, South Dakota. It looked the same, as it had been months since the last time she was there. It even smelled the same, or as it did last spring. Helena made her way through town, driving slow when she made her way past the usual hangout spots of her fellow warehouse agents to see if they were out. She had to admit that a spark of nervousness was set in her mind as she did so, what if she was to actually find one of them? What would she say? Words always came easily to Helena, and she was rarely at a loss; as she ran the different scenarios through her mind, the words were a blank. Thankfully, and sadly, she didn't recognize any of the cars or the people she'd driven past as she made her way back to the warehouse. The drive seemed to take forever, a longing to be outside, to stretch, to have fresh air filling her lungs. For down reason having the window down didn't suffice. No cars at the bed and breakfast, but that didn't mean there was no one inside. Pulling in, Helena parked and stepped out, arms cast above her head as she stretched, an uncharacteristic yawn slipping past her lips as she quickly quieted it down. Entering the building, Helena tapped on the door. Perhaps call out? She walked through the kitchen, dining area, then to the living room where she spotted a pile of books left on the sofa, a sign that had Myka written all over it. A smile took over her elegant lips as she tilted her head to read the titles, curiously. Before she had left with the astrolabe, Helena had spent countless hours reading into the night with Myka, a peaceful solitude that they would share. Simple moments like that were things she cherished.  
No one was downstairs, maybe a quick check on everyone's bedroom door before heading to the warehouse. Helena bustled up the stairway, once at the top she recomposed herself with a deep breath. Claudia's room was first, and although the door was shut, it was locked. Steve's was across the hallway, empty. That left Pete and Myka's rooms, because Arty was never in his. It was a sacred moment when he wasn't in the warehouse. Helena rapped on Myka's door, an excite smile popping itself to her lips, which soon fell to disappointment as the expected woman hadn't answered the door. If Myka wasn't around, that meant Pete wasn't around either because he was always around her. Regathering her mood, Helena headed towards the front door, to make her way to the warehouse.  
The drive seemed to agitate her more than expected, but the other agents had work, it wasn't a surprise no one had a day off, seeing as today was just an ordinary spring day.  
Finally, a sign of life existed! Arty's car was parked outside of the warehouse, as was the vehicle Pete and Myka drove when out on a ping that didn't require flying. A smile approached her lips once more as her fingers pressed to the keypad, entering the code. Her passcode still granted her access inside, which caused a sigh of relief. The feeling that washed through her was almost a feeling of that she still belonged, one of which she hadn't felt in a long time.  
No one was in the office, but from what she could make out of Arty's miserable handwriting, he had finished repairing and upgrading the dark vaults. As she opened the door to head into the actual warehouse, the computer beeped, nearly frantically, grabbing her attention. It wasn't a ping this time, but an artifact disturbance. With an arched brow, she looked at the map, knowing where it was, Helena decided it best to help out her fellow warehouse agents and see what had caused it.  
Voices were carrying as she approached the different isles of crates, both opened and closed. Distinctly, Artie's grumbling. He was angry (as if he wasn't always) at someone. The soft pad of her feet against the ground echoed through the isle she walked on.  
"Hello, Arthur," When Helena had gotten closer she saw Claudia nervously biting at her fingernails.  
"HG!" She squealed out, releasing her nails from her mouth, arms flailing around the tall, dark haired woman's neck. As Helena opened her mouth, her words were drown out by Claudia's. "Thank god you're here, crazy shiz is going on right now.."  
"Good heavens, Claudia, what do you mean?" A puzzled yet curious look appeared on Helena's features. She was quite glad to see Claudia and Arty, although she loved calling him by his full name, Arthur, but disappointment was hard to hide when it wasn't Myka she had walked up to.  
"Now isn't the time." Arty growled, making Claire leap backwards with a small yelp. Helena's eyes locked on the new woman, from head to foot, then back up. Was that one of Myka's shirts? Helena was sure she had seen her wear one before.  
"Claire! This is my sister, Claire. It's long and complicated. I thought she was dead, until-" Claudia rolled her head towards Arty, bitterness sinking into her tone.  
"Now isn't the time for a family reunion. We have other priorities to deal with. How did you find us?" Arty redirected his attention to Helena.  
"There was, I believe as you all would put it, a ping. A disturbance in the artifacts."  
With a nervous shrug, Helena brushed her hair behind her ear. Something she did when upset, mostly.  
"That would be Myka," said Claudia. "As I was saying, she absorbed the artifact that was inside Claire and now we need to neutralize it.. Her."  
"Pardon?" Helena's jaw opened elegantly, she was stunned. Myka was here? Behind the door that the other three were blocking, probably. Oh, how she would love to break the door in. Myka was the reason why Helena had came back in the first place, why hadn't they told her that she was there in the first place? Of course, they didn't know that was her intentions of returning, or didn't think that right away.  
"There was an artifact living in me.." Said Claire quietly, although arty seemed to take over in filling Helena in.  
"Myka needs to be neutralized, calmed, so we can get it out of her and return everything to normal." Arty interrupted.  
"What's the plan then, Arty?" Claudia asked, annoyance present. Arty was scowling (when wasn't he, though), fingers twisting in his greying hair as he attempted to think of something, anything that could help their situation. Helena simply stared at the three, what could the writer do to help them anyway? She did, after all, know Myka best, but knowing her might not work.  
A lightbulb seemed to be lit over Arthur's aura, his demeanor changing. Even his untamed eyebrows were lifted.  
"What is it?" Claudia asked; Arty's eyes had narrowed to Helena. Slowly Claire's and Claudia's had joined, leaving Helena dumbstruck at the group. Claudia was inaudibly nodding. What had they though of, that she hadn't?  
"We're going to need an artifact. Where's my bag?" Arty finally spoke, head snapping towards Claudia who turned around and ran to the shelves.  
"This is unethical! You cannot use an artifact on Myka!" Helena began to protest, but no one listened. "I will not permit this."  
"Pliny the Elder's Scroll," Arty muttered as he searched the depths of the bag, "we won't be using it on her, just to entrap her."  
"Problem. Wouldn't she still be super p.o-ed at us once the amber breaks?"  
"Yes. No. We're going to calm her first-"  
"How?!" Helena interrupted. It wasn't often that she lost her self control, but it wasn't often that her "friends" were wanting to potentially harm Myka.  
"With you." Arthur said calmly. "If you would stop interrupting me. We'll send you in, talk her down, and one of us will sneak in and slip the scroll onto her, then transfer the music box back into Claire. It'll work like a charm."  
"No it won't!" Tears haunted the corners of Helena's eyes, voice becoming shaky and unnerved. "Trapping Myka? No. Absolutely not."  
"Is there no other way?"  
"It's worth a shot, HG, even without the scroll. Myka needs to be calm, and no offense, it's obviously a job for you." Claudia cut in. She was right. It was often that the young girl was, however no one seemed to listen. Except this time. Arthur had gotten on Helena's nerve, but that didn't stop her from thinking rationally.  
"Right then, off I go. If this doesn't work, Arthur..." The glare that Helena gave arty was stone cold, one he knew not to be taken lightly. Helena withdrew a sharp inhale, recomposing herself as she tapped lightly on the door.  
Myka had launched one of the nearby boxes without looking at the door when she heard it opening, shouting at the only people she had assumed were there.  
"Gotcha, Arty!"  
"Then I shall just be going now.." Which one of them was that? Arty? No it was a woman's voice. Claudia? No. Claire..? No. Although she had just met Claire, part of her knew that wasn't her. The voice was so recognizable, but her memories were fogged by the artifact effecting her.  
"That wasn't quite the hello I had expected." Even in danger, Helena managed a light chuckle. The door shut behind her, and she stood in the open. Myka had turned her head over her shoulder, another artifact hovering nearby, ready to be launched at the intruder. It was HG Wells.  
"What the hell are you doing here?" She turned around, facing the other woman.  
"Hello Myka. I came to visit you."  
"Why? Why now?" Anger, and possibly hurt, seemed to be the emotions behind Myka, although hidden from the music box.  
"I hadn't planned this, if that's what you're implying," Myka chuckled now, "certainly, no one could."  
"Six months, Helena! You go six months after walking out on us, without even a hint of letting us know you still existed? Not even letting me?"  
"It was for your safety, dear. Everyone's, especially yours."  
"No. None of this bull shit. You're just a hologram. A trick of Arty's."Myka was fuming with anger, she screamed as she threw another box across the small room they were in. It seemed as if Arthur's plan of Helena calming her wasn't going to work.  
"I wasn't going to risk losing the only woman I've loved in the last hundred years to Arthur's stupidity." Myka's arms had folded over her chest, a trait she often did when she was about to surrender. Maybe there was still a chance this would work.  
"When we retrieved Joshua's horn, were you able to do this?" Helena spoke as she approached Myka, her hand reaching for hers, lifting it in front of them. Instinctively, Myka ripped her arm back. But that didn't discourage Helena. She did it again, this time, holding firmly. She didn't let go. Hallelujah. Helena's heart skipped a beat as her fingers wove themselves in Myka's. It felt as if layers and layers of anxiety and anger were being she'd from Myka, from the touch. She knew the woman wasn't a hologram, the fact she was a solid being proved that. Myka threw her arms around the woman as what felt like the last ounce of anger left her. Tear were falling, from both sets of eyes. Tears of joy.  
"Oh, god.." Myka sobbed onto her shoulder. Helena hushed her quietly, arms and hands massaging along her back in a soothing manor. The voice she used was the most calming melody Myka had ever heard.  
"We're going to fix this, you and I." Helena reassured, a kiss to Myka's forehead sealed that. The latch on door lifted, startling Myka backwards defensively.  
"Stop!" Helena called out to whomever it was that tried the door. It was opened though, and the three stood outside, waiting to see why they were stopped. Helena had positioned herself in front of Myka, a hand reaching back to hold her, hopefully to comfort her and keep her calm.  
"The scroll is unnecessary, Arthur. You won't be using it."  
"What scroll? Pliny the Elder's Scroll?" Myka asked, her body tensing once again.  
"Yes, dear," Helena turned to face her, "that. But they're not going to use it. You and I are going to go peacefully and alone to wherever the transfer is going to happen."  
Myka knew to trust Helena, the love for one another kept her calm. Helena always held Myka first, to anything. This wasn't an exception. As the exchange between Myka and Claire took place in the hospital, Helena stood by Myka's side, awaiting the procedure.


End file.
